Fit Tips: Building Your Own Workout Plan
Making the decision to start working out is one thing, but putting this decision into practice can be intimidating! Whether you’re heading to the gym or getting your sweat on at home, not knowing how to build a workout plan can put a damper on things. Having a personal fitness trainer takes care of this need, but we all know this service is a luxury not everyone can afford. For those who want to do things on their own, here are a few easy steps to follow to help create your own exercise routine!
Goal Setting
One of the most important things to do when you decide to start exercising is to establish goals. Without goals, you’re just lifting weights. With goals, you’re training to better yourself.
Dedicate some time to sit down and do some serious thinking about the changes you want to make. What drove you to decide you want to exercise? What challenges are you trying to overcome?
When creating these goals, it’s essential to be realistic about what’s possible to achieve and how long it will take. Wanting to drop half your body weight in a few weeks is unlikely and can be dangerous to attempt. No matter what you want or how badly you want it, nothing is worth risking your health and well-being.
Be specific, pick goals that are measurable, and don’t be afraid to set short-term and long-term goals for yourself! Rather than having one giant “end all be all” target, breaking your desires up into smaller, more achievable pieces can be the key to your success.
Understanding Limitations
Along with being realistic about your goals, you also have to be sensible about what you can or can’t do. This factor is most important to think about from a medical standpoint. What limitations exist that you physically cannot push through? Are you recovering from an injury? These factors don’t have to ruin your plans, but being mindful of them from the beginning means not suffering later.
Limitations in your regular life are also important to consider. Going to a gym won’t always work if you don’t have reliable transportation. Incorporate this knowledge into your schedule or have a backup plan (like a home workout) prepared for when things fall through.
Another example would be trying to fit 60 minutes’ worth of work in a 20-minute time period. It’s okay if you only have 20 minutes to exercise, but focus on circuits and intervals rather than trying to make a longer workout happen in less time. Being honest with yourself from the get-go can give you an easier time transitioning to your new schedule.
Exercise Frequency
Once you know what you want and are realistic about what you can or can’t do to make it happen, it’s time to get into the specific details about your workouts, starting with frequency. Frequency isn’t as simple to determine as one would think.
As I’ve said before, exercise science is still relatively new, and research still has a long way to go. However, there is some research to help guide us in the optimal direction! This study compared high-frequency and low-frequency training. Those in the high-frequency group performed a full-body workout three times a week, with three sets per exercise for a total of nine sets per week. The low-frequency group also performed nine sets, but this was all done in one session, and their schedule consisted of a three-day muscle group split. After an eight-week period, both groups showed similar muscle growth, inferring that it’s volume, not frequency, that matters when it comes to muscle growth. It is important to note that this study was very small, consisting of only 19 people, and more research still needs to be done. However, this is a fun glimpse at the way bodies seem to work!
Consistency is critical in an effective exercise plan, so it’s important to be realistic about how often you can exercise. If you create a five-day split-body schedule even though you can only manage two days, it’s likely you won’t see the results you want.
Try writing down your everyday schedule and seeing where you can fit in your gym sessions. Two to three days is ideal for a full-body workout, which I like to recommend for beginners. If you want to commit to more days, great! You can incorporate alternatives to weightlifting or split your sessions up by muscle groups.
Those who want to hit the weights four days a week might consider an upper/lower split. Six days, a push/pull/legs split. Another option is the body part split, which can be effective for muscle growth when done properly. There are a ton of options, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming! Start small and take your time getting comfortable and adjusting to what works for you.
Sets, Reps, and Weights
If you’re unfamiliar with this gym lingo, that’s okay! A rep, short for repetition, is when you complete one exercise. One squat or one bicep curl is one rep. A set is a group of repetitions. Your one-rep max is the most weight you could lift for a single repetition of an exercise.
There is no “one size fits all” option when it comes to deciding what your sets, reps, and weights will be. Your goals tend to determine how many sets and reps you do, as different amounts have different outcomes.
For a goal of strength endurance, 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps is recommended with moderately heavy weights. You should be able to get through all your sets and reps with proper form.
For hypertrophy, or muscle growth, 3-6 sets of 6-12 reps is recommended with heavier weights than above. Compared to strength endurance, the increase in training volume, as well as an increase in weight, contributes to an increase in muscle size.
For maximal strength, but not necessarily muscle size, things get much more intense with 4-6 sets of 1-5 reps with nearly the heaviest weight you can properly perform the movement with.
All of the above programs are great, but again, it can be a lot for a beginner. There’s plenty of time to build your way up to the program that’s right for you, but you don’t have to jump right on it. For beginners, I generally like to recommend 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Choose a weight that allows you to complete all your sets without losing proper form, but feels challenging by the end of the third set. Don't assume the weight should be a struggle from the beginning. If you struggle to get through the first set, you probably won’t even make it to the third set, especially with good form. Once you’re able to perform 3 sets of 12 or 15 reps, increase your weight and drop the reps back down to 8.
Those working out at home or without equipment don’t have the same options for selecting a weight, so the focus will be on exercise modifications and bodyweight exercise regressions and progressions.
Remember to log everything so you can track your progress!
Selecting Exercises
This section could be about ten pages long if I sat here and listed every exercise for every body part, so instead, I’ll try to keep it simple.
These are typically referred to as the major muscle groups:
Chest
Back
Arms— triceps, biceps, and shoulders
Core— NOT just your abs!
Legs— quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves
Variations of this list exist, but this is a good go-to for crafting your workout, especially in the beginning! The more you advance and progress, the more you can break down these groups.
For a full-body workout, pick 1-2 exercises per major muscle group.
Another thing to look at when selecting exercises is the difference between compound and isolation exercises. Compound exercises utilize multiple major muscle groups. Squats and bench presses are compound exercises. Squats require quad and glute strength. Bench presses require chest, triceps, biceps, and shoulders. On the other hand, isolation exercises focus on a single muscle, like a bicep curl.
Compound exercises give the most bang for your buck, and are ideal for muscle growth. Isolation exercises have their place, especially if you’re dealing with muscle imbalances, but performing only isolation movements would take a lot of time to hit all of your muscles.
Recovery is No Joke
Rest days are not just a suggestion. A small period of recovery time is essential to see results and continue progressing. You need rest to prevent injuries and build muscle. However, recovery doesn’t mean you have to be inactive a few days a week. Pick gentle movements like yoga, walking, stretching, or swimming.
With this being said, it’s also okay to take a day off and fully rest if you need it. While it’s sometimes okay to push through while you’re sick or tired, know your limits. You won’t magically lose all your progress from taking a few days, or even a few weeks off. It’s so much more important for you to do what’s best for your physical and mental health. Periods of illness and injury can make us feel guilty and discouraged, but keep your head up and listen to your body.
Things to Remember
This is NOT a definitive guide to creating a workout plan. While I hit most of the important points, there are a few things I left out of this post, like rest timing, different workout formats, etc. This post is meant to serve as a building block to help you create the best plan for yourself.
This is also just general advice. If there are things I mentioned in this post that don’t mesh with your ideals and needs, that doesn’t necessarily mean either of us are wrong, it just means there are other things to explore!
If you like what you read and want to discuss it in detail, have more questions, or need a hand getting started, please remember that I offer a FREE consultation! There is no pressure and no commitment to this conversation, I just want to help as many people as I can! Sign up for your consultation or contact me!